Baseball Handicapping Articles

MLB Betting Advice: Big-Name Pitchers that Haven't Delivered
by Trevor Whenham - 6/22/2016

Aces are supposed to deliver a lot of wins and strong profits for their backers at the same time. This year guys like Stephen Strasburg, Clayton Kershaw, Johnny Cueto, Chris Sale, Jake Arrieta and Madison Bumgarner are doing exactly what is expected - they are winning lots of games, and all are among the Top 11 in moneyline profits in the league so far.

MLB Wagering Advice and Handicapping: Under-the-Radar Pitchers that Profit
by Trevor Whenham - 6/22/2016

We are far enough into the baseball season by now that we can start to draw some conclusions based on what we have seen. Sample sizes are large enough that the betting performances of pitchers so far have at least some meaning. Some of the names at the top of the list in terms of profit generating this year are far from surprising - Strasburg, Kershaw, Cueto, Sale, Arrieta. There isn't a lot of value in betting on a player like that in most situations.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, June 23, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/22/2016

Tuesday was another rough day for the injury-ravaged Mets -- although it could have been worse. First, current starting pitcher Bartolo Colon, my pick for the "Most Interesting Man in Baseball," had to leave his start against the Royals very early after taking a comebacker off his pitching hand. The good news was that X-rays were negative, but he might still miss a start. The not-so-great news was the Mets announcing that former very promising starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, a potential trade chip, had been shut down from his Tommy John surgery rehab due to discomfort in his right elbow.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, June 22, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/21/2016

No major American sport seems to have more of a love affair with statistics. Just about every day, you hear some random stat that has never happened before in MLB. That was the case on Monday night when the Colorado Rockies won 5-3 in Miami. All eight runs in the game were from solo homers. That's an MLB record for most runs in a game via a solo dinger. The previous mark was five, completed seven times.

Free MLB Picks for Best Props Odds: Tuesday June 21, 2016
by Chris Vasile - 6/21/2016

Like much of the baseball world, I was excited to watch a great pitching duel last night between Stephen Strasburg and Clayton Kershaw. Instead, the Nationals scratched Strasburg and claimed he was suffering from a "back strain". This decision has come under some suspicion that it was to keep his perfect record intact for another five days.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, June 21, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/20/2016

Could Cleveland actually become Titletown USA this year? I can't say I thought the Cavaliers would beat the record-setting Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals after trailing 3-1, but they completed the stunning comeback Sunday in a very memorable game. I'm happy for the fans of that city as it was the first championship in the four major pro sports for a Cleveland team since 1964 (and, yes, there was briefly an NHL team in the city).

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, June 18, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/17/2016

Pretty significant injury on Thursday night for the Detroit Tigers, although things could have been much worse. Outfielder J.D. Martinez, one of the best bargains in baseball with a $3 million salary this season, collided with the wall in Kansas City while attempting to make a play on Paulo Orlando's triple in the bottom of the second inning. Martinez braced himself with his right arm but was injured and later diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of the radial neck of his right elbow. At first, the worries were that could be season-ending.

Expert MLB Betting Advice: Weekly Baseball Bullpen Report
by Victor Ryan - 6/17/2016

A lights-out performance by the Miami Marlins bullpen the past week has helped put them into contention for a National League wild-card berth, while the former AL West-leading Mariners has sprung a leak in the bullpen and now find themselves 6.5 games behind the Rangers in the division race. Here is this week's Doc's Sports bullpen report.

MLB Handicapping: Toronto Blue Jays on the Betting Upswing
by Trevor Whenham - 6/17/2016

After a very impressive season last year - their first division win in a generation and a solid showing in the playoffs - the expectations were again high for the Toronto Blue Jays heading into this season. Early on, though, it seemed like they were doomed. The performance on the field was lousy, the chemistry seemed broken, and nothing was going right.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Friday, June 17, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/16/2016

Need a shortstop for the rest of the season? Former All-Star Jose Reyes is on the market. To no surprise, the Colorado Rockies designated Reyes for assignment on Wednesday. With how well rookie shortstop Trevor Story was playing and the fact that Reyes recently finished serving his 51-game suspension for violating MLB's domestic violence policy, there was no way the Rockies were going to put Reyes on the big-league roster.

MLB Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Baseball Wagers
by Victor Ryan - 6/16/2016

The profits continued to pour in last week for supporters of the Texas Rangers, who have been by far the best bet in baseball this season at +23.0 units. The Rangers (41-25) went 5-2 last week with, incredibly, all five wins coming as an underdog. This made them easily the most profitable bet in baseball during the past week.

Free MLB Picks for Best Props Odds: Thursday June 16, 2016
by Chris Vasile - 6/16/2016

Have you ever watched a game where the team you are betting on comes out completely flat and looks disinterested only for them to flip the switch and perform when the game is already out of reach? Yup, that's exactly what the Yankees did on Tuesday against the Rockies.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, June 16, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/15/2016

There's a player out there who could potentially be a difference-maker for a contender, and it won't cost said contender prospects in trade or a draft pick. Just a lot of money. That guy is Cuban infielder Yulieski Gurriel. I don't really understand the rules on signing international guys, but MLB said this week that for whatever reason Gurriel was a true free agent. Now, you never know what you will get with Cuban hitters -- it could be Jose Abreu (stud) or Rusney Castillo (bust) or somewhere in between.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, June 15, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/14/2016

I'm backing off my prediction that the Texas Rangers will repeat as AL West champions for now, at least until we find out when Yu Darvish will be back -- assuming he is. Just three starts into his return from Tommy John surgery, he has been placed back on the disabled list with discomfort in his neck and pitching shoulder. Needless to say, that sounds ominous, but an MRI on Monday has revealed nothing major.

Free MLB Picks for Best Props Odds: Tuesday June 14, 2016
by Chris Vasile - 6/14/2016

When I wrote my last MLB piece on Thursday, I spoke about how much the ebbs and flows of MLB baseball can affect any handicapper and get them off their game. Luckily for me, I was only affected by it for one night as I returned on Thursday of last week to give you two solid winners that were never in question. The goal now is to continue the upward trend.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, June 14, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/13/2016

Friday's game was almost an utter disaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates as both ace Gerrit Cole and starting catcher Francisco Cervelli left the game with injuries. First the good news: Cole is likely to miss at least his next start and might have to go on the 15-day DL, but an MRI revealed no structural damage. Cole left with tightness in his right triceps. The team wasn't as fortunate on Cervelli as he suffered a broken bone in his left hand and likely misses six weeks.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, June 11, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/10/2016

If the Miami Marlins are even thinking about trading ace Jose Fernandez because they know he's leaving as a free agent after the 2018 season and they can't re-sign him (they won't be able to), his value will never be higher than after this year if Fernandez keeps going at his current pace -- plus the team acquiring him would get two full seasons.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Friday, June 10, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/9/2016

Two aces left their games early on Wednesday with issues in their pitching arms, and both teams will be on pins and needles Thursday awaiting test results on said arms. The Rangers should win the AL West with a healthy Yu Darvish, but in just his third start back from Tommy John surgery he had to leave Wednesday's game with tightness in his pitching shoulder. Darvish thinks it's nothing and that he will make his next start, but he's obviously not a doctor. Potentially more worrisome was Phillies young right-hander Vince Velasquez leaving after just two pitches Wednesday -- fastballs that didn't top 87 mph when he averages 94 -- against the Cubs with right biceps soreness.

Free MLB Picks for Best Props Odds: Thursday June 9, 2016
by Chris Vasile - 6/9/2016

The MLB season is a long grind, and betting it on a daily basis can fluster even the veteran handicappers out there. The ebbs and flows hit you like a sack of potatoes, and you can only do your best to withstand the blow, dust yourself off and carry on with the cause. I took one of those hits on Tuesday and its time to get over it and move forward.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, June 9, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews - 6/8/2016

Will 2016 be the Year of the Brawl? The Rangers and Blue Jays, centered around Rougned Odor and Jose Bautista, had a big one about three weeks ago. And on Tuesday night, there was another pretty intense one between the Orioles and Royals, centered on Kansas City pitcher Yordano Ventura and Baltimore superstar and MVP candidate Manny Machado. Both are going to get suspended, but Ventura deserves a long one.